Fox files lawsuit against City of West Union

By Chris DeBack

Former West Union police officer Sierra Fox is suing the City of West Union in Fayette County District Court for sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, and retaliation. She is asking for a jury trial.

She has also named West Union police chief Paul Becthold and West Union City Administrator Nick McIntyre as defendants. 

Fox’s attorney, Katie Ervin Carlson, submitted the formal petition to Fayette County District Court today (Tuesday, May 21). The petition lays out the same information that has been reported in previous stories. 

Fox claimed in her letter of resignation from the West Union Police Department that Becthold made derogatory comments about women, that he witnessed and ignored sexual harassment, ignored her requests to attend K-9 training, and that he put her life in danger by telling other officers “not to rush to help me when I called for emergency backup.” Fox provided sworn affidavits from former West Union police officers MaKenz Kriener and Daniel Moore to support her claims. 

Court documents submitted to Fayette County District Court note that, “[Fox] demands judgment against Defendants, jointly and severally, in an amount which will fully and fairly compensate her for her injuries and damages, for prejudgment and postjudgment interest, for attorney’s fees and expenses, for the costs of this action, for appropriate equitable and injunctive relief, and for such other relief as may be just in the circumstances and consistent with the purposes of the Iowa Civil Rights Act.”

The City of West Union declined to comment on the filing of this petition.

On Saturday, Fox will start working part-time for the Mar-Mac Unified Police District.